CONTROL OF FLOWERING TIME IN PLANTS

The mechanisms by which the transition to flowering is regulated in pl ants have been the subject of intense physiological study for many yea rs. Recent studies, particularly in Arabidopsis thaliana, have reveale d the genetic complexity of flowering. Flowering appears to be control led by multiple pathways that are influenced by the environment in whi ch the plant is grown as well as the developmental state of the plant. Several genes that regulate flowering time have been molecularly iden tified and the effects of altered expression of these genes have contr ibuted greatly to understanding their role in flowering.